[SEASONAL EVENT] Prepping the Clinic

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again Phoebe was surprised how nonchalant he seemed about this, and his family too. Monsters outside, requiring extensive preparation...and yet it could be a week to party or catch up on indoor chores. The two seemed completely at odds to her but it was also a new concept altogether. Perhaps in time she would become just as relaxed with the thought of Long Night. "Sounds like maybe you're due for a less serious time then, if she got to play last year?" she said with a small smile. His sister went out with her friends and he stayed home and worked. Sounded rather like a workaholic...a trait she recognized in herself. Though...was coming out to keep an eye on Outlanders really a fun time or grandiose babysitting? "Oh yes, there are plenty of beds! We will only need to be on the floor if they are taken with patients." Phoebe assured with a smile, feeling her heart race a little in anticipation now. Not only did she think they would all be safer with him around...well he was just nice to be around in general. Phoebe nodded when he said they could push the furniture up against the windows to protect them. The furniture she had was heavy and sturdy, so it would suit just as well as boarding them up once the shutters were closed and locked. "The door was actually just replaced so it's really sturdy." she said with a small smile, already starting to push some of the furniture in front of the windows. She wasn't was strong as Emmett, but she wasn't averse to getting her hands dirty doing hard work either. Besides, he had completely filled her floor with moss after all!

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it "I guess it depends on how much of a serious time you're plannin' on havin'." Emmett grinned, looking about the place. It looked...comfy, but very much a medical space. It certainly wasn't going to host any wild parties (not that those were his idea of fun exactly). Maybe he could bring a few games. Plenty of people played cards or board games during Longnight. He was happy to hear there was a bed for him, even though he really would have settled for the floor. Hopefully he wouldn't have to share it with a pregnant lady, but he would make do if he did. Emmett did wonder why the door had had to be replaced, but he supposed it was none of his business, just nodding and going back to the issue of the windows. There were a few things they could stack up around them he supposed, but it would depend on what Phoebe was willing to give up for a week. "Well...we could.." He began to say, but then leaned too far towards a table in his looking at the window and tipped over a vase of flowers. In a split second he'd knelt down to try and catch the vase, which he managed before it hit the ground, but his shirt was covered in cold water and patches of dirt. Emmett cringed at the cold, then turned to Phoebe with a sheepish smile. "I'm...mighty sorry about that, Miss."

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again "Well the whole thing sounds awfully serious to me! But if you don't think there is a reason for it to be then...I'll try to not be serious." she said with a light laugh. The fact that anyone could be calm and relaxed knowing that a week of monsters was about to descend on them was beyond her comprehension. But she had no reason to not trust Emmett's assessment of the situation. He had lived through it many years now after all. It was a good sign really that he wasn't freaking out. Okay. She would try and be cool about this Long Night thing. Try. The following events almost seemed to happen in slow motion. She saw that he was about to tip the glass over and tried to warn him but was far too slow. She gasped a bit as the vase fell, stiffening in anticipation of the shattering sound. But it didn't come, because Emmett caught it just in time...spilling its contents down his shirt and onto the floow. "Oh my goodness are you okay??" she asked worriedly, hurrying over to him. He might notice then that the flower in the vase was the same one he had given her in the market, and the careful way she set it on the table. "I am so sorry! Here, give me your shirt and I will wash it quick so it doesn't stain." she said, holding out her hands to take it.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it It was serious, in a way, but not any more so than a bad storm to Emmett. It happened every year and he'd always survived so far, when all the rituals had been correctly completed. In some ways it was nice to get a break from the farm work for a week, even though he usually ended up being roped into babysitting or tidying in the house. "I'm fine, Phoebe, I just hope your flower is." He said, smiling down at the flower as he saw her gently place it down. Even with his side now freezing cold and wet and his embarrassment, he was pleased to see she had kept the gift. At first he didn't think anything of taking off his shirt, used to communal baths and big laundry days from his upbringing, but as he lifted it over his head it suddenly occurred to him that Phoebe probably did not have many men stripping down in here. But she was a medical professional, he reminded himself, and took it off entirely. Perhaps she would see nothing but a body to analyse and treat when she looked on his torso. "Thank you." He said as he gave it to her. "You don't gotta do anythin' fancy with it. Just a scrub is fine with me."

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again ”It’s still in one piece so that’s good.” Phoebe said with a smile. It was as fine as any already dead and slowly dying plant could be after being dropped on the floor. Eventually she would have to decide if she wanted to press it or hand it to preserve it if she wanted to keep it. Which she did. It was a gift after all! Phoebe took the shirt, still not having fully comprehended what she had told him to do, and what it all entailed. She was still in fix the problem mode. But as the flourish of fabric found its way into her hands, and well-toned and muscled male torso was rather unceremoniously put on display in front of her, she suddenly realized what she had asked. Her cheeks turned bright red as she tried very hard not to stare and admire how handsome he was. She was used to seeing big burly fellows shirtless – you bet Brahm had taken his shirt off any chance he could to impress the ladies so she was a bit numb to the allure of that – but Emmett was built much more leanly than that. It was different and…well frankly more attractive. It didn’t seem like she would be crushed by him if they…okay brain new line of thought please! Neither time nor place! ”Uh, here, you can dry off with this.” she said, handing him a towel. She quickly spun around and headed to the back of the clinic where her little stove was with a kettle of water on – she always had hot water ready – and plopped the shirt into small bucket so she could soak it for a minute. ”I’m sure, but if you go back home with stains all over your shirt your mother will think you came all this way to help a slob!” she joked, with a light laugh. Wait…why did she care what his mother thought of her? She blushed, even as she convinced herself internally that she cared what most people thought of her. After a minute or so of soaking in the water she added some soap and carefully scrubbed the dirt out of it, then rinsed it and wrung it dry with deft hands. ”There!” she said as she walked over to the fireplace, flinking the shirt out a few times to get wrinkles out of it. ”It shouldn’t take too long to dry.” she said, draping the shirt over a chair so it could do so.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it Emmett noted the red blush in Phoebe's face and the way she quickly spun around and grinned. So he wasn't quite so mundane to her after all. He supposed if he saw her shirtless he would be pretty flustered too, but he hardly got to see a lot of naked girls up on the farm. Especially not nice ones that he liked rather a lot. He took the towel and even though he had no idea how, tried to pose a bit with it as he dried himself off, lifting his arms this way and that and trying to make sure all of his good sides were facing Phoebe (not that he really knew which sides his good ones were, but he had a rough estimate). "We get plenty of stains on us up at the farm. Much worse things than some water n' dirt, too." It had not occurred to Emmett that talking about animal waste was not particularly sexy. She placed the shirt near the fireplace and he smiled a thanks at her before looking about the place some more. "Well then. I guess I should prolly try get some stuff in fronta the windows without smashing your flowers, huh? You got anything tall you don' mind using?"

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again He really was an…uh…athletic dryer wasn’t he? She wasn’t sure why he felt a need to lift his arms and shift around like he did but…well she wasn’t going to ask. That seemed like a mean question. It wasn’t like he was hurting anybody by doing so after all. ”I am sure. But I doubt anyone expects you to come back from town covered in dirt.” she said. It wasn’t quite the same as having come in from working the fields after all. It was going into town to help with indoor tasks. Anything tall? Hmm. ”I have these couple of cabinets in the back. And there are the guest beds if we need to but I would prefer not if it can be helped.” she said. If she used those undoubtedly someone would rush in at the last minute in labor and she wouldn’t have an easily accessibly bed to use. Telling a laboring woman to walk up the stairs to her personal bed wasn’t the most ideal either, depending how far along she was. ”You haven’t told me much about your family. What are they like?” she asked, trying not to look at him too long or else she would blush for sure.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it "I'll jus' tell 'em you ambushed me in a field." Emmett joked with a grin, thinking that really his family were so used to see him covered in mud they likely wouldn't even think about it. There were so many reasons to be dirty when one was in his line of work, after all. He looked at the cabinets and then the beds. She was right, it was probably silly to take the beds, so he nodded towards the cabinets then bent down to experimentally lift the bottom of one of them; it was heavier than he had expected. He could take most of the weight, but would too ungainly to move it effectively. "Couldya help me with this? I got most a it, but you could just help t'guide me." As she came over to help, he answered the question about his family. "Loud. They're real loud. Ma n' Pa are gettin' old, so me and my brother do a lotta the work. My sisters are a bit too young t' be doing the harder stuff, but they do a lot too. The little ones jus' do the odd thing....we all laugh a lot. But we do a lotta stuff." He shrugged. It was hard to explain his whole life in only a few sentences.

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again She looked a little confused at that explanation. ”Ambushed you in a field? Why would I do that?” she asked innocently, a little wide eyed. He had helped her so much! Aside from the fact that she physically couldn’t ambush him, why would she? ”Yes, of course!” Phoebe said, hurrying to the other end of the cabinet to help. She positioned herself to lift the one end of the cabinet while he described his family. ”Mine was loud too.” she said with a smile. ”Well…everyone but me was loud.” when too many people got talking she had resorted to just staying silent. She just couldn’t compete with big personalities like that and faded into the background. It meant she could get away with a lot more, but she didn’t, goody-two-shoes she was. ”I was the baby in my family though. You’re in the middle it sounds like?” she asked. But she couldn’t really continue the conversation. As they tried to lift and move the cabinet she found the weight of it too much and she stumbled backwards with a little squeak of alarm as she fell backwards, the cabinet tipping towards her dangerously.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it "I dunno, maybe you should tell me." Emmett replied with a smile and a wink, not having thought into his silly joke enough to have an actual story for it. The speed at which Phoebe rushed to help made him happy. She would fit in in his family, where there was nearly always something new to do. Emmett had always admired work ethic, and beamed at her as she moved to lift the cabinet. "Yeah, kinda. I certainly aren' t'baby." As soon as he heard Phoebe squeak Emmett was rushing forwards, grabbing her in his arms before she was crushed and holding her to the side of the cabinet, which fell with a loud crash. In the sudden silence after the noise, he stared down at her, breathing heavily only a few inches from her face.

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again Phoebe would have replied. She would have blushed and stuttered the way he joked and winked at her. She would have mumbled something that was simultaneously cute and awkward in response. But instead she was distracted by the impending reality of being crushed by a cabinet. The speed at which Emmett moved to get to her was astounding. So much so that at first she didn’t realize it, eyes still closed, body all tensed in anticipation of being crushed. But the sound of the falling cabinet slamming against the floor and not feeling the intense pain of being under it made her realize just that – she wasn’t under it…but there was a slight pressure around her torso and arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself held against Emmett’s chest, standing toe to toe with him. Suddenly her heart was racing for an altogether different reason, her cheeks flushing a bright red. He was so close they were almost… ”Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” Phoebe’s head spun around – sorry Emmett for the faceful of thick blonde hair – and her eyes widened when she saw someone had come into the shop at the exact moment that she found herself pressed up against a shirtless young man. But before she could say anything they rushed back out of the clinic. Her cheeks had been red before but now she was completely flushed, very much embarrassed.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it "S'alri--" Emmett began to say, but then he was hit with a mouthful of hair the same moment that the sound of the door opening caught his attention. As the accidental guest slammed the door shut, he went right past being embarrassed to laughing, gently letting Phoebe go and holding her shoulder to right her as he held his hand to his mouth. "I'm..." He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair to try and calm down. "I'm awful sorry about that, Phoebe. But uh...I think we gave someone just about the shock of their lives." Peeking at the door he laughed again, then went to look Phoebe over, just making sure she wasn't injured. "You okay? I know these things can be heavy. Maybe I should just drag it over myself...might get some scuff marks on your nice floor, though." He said, tapping the floor with the toe of his boot.

Phoebe When you need some shelter from the rain, when you need a healer for your pain, I will be there time and time again He might find it funny but she was rather mortified. What sorts of rumors were going to be spread now! The thought only made her cheeks darken. Wonderful. But she was distracted from the thought as Emmett created some space between them, holding her shoulders only in a steadying manner. Her stomach sunk, surprising even herself that despite her embarrassment at being seen in a suggestive situation that she was disappointed to be at a respectable distance again. ”I-it’s okay, it wasn’t what they obviously thought it was after all.” she said, cheeks still red but with the tiniest hint of the disappointment in her eyes. She was getting ahead of herself. He was just being helpful. Even if the intruder hadn’t shown up he wouldn’t have…would he have? No. Don’t be silly, Phoebe. ”Yes, I’m okay I just lost my balance.” she said quietly, trying to get her emotions all straightened out again. ”If we put some rags under the feet it should slide really easy across the floor and not leave marks.” she said. Phoebe only knew that from trial and error, having shoved the cabinets around the room before. Some were easily on hand – midwife’s clinic after all – and if he lifted the feet she could shove the rags in place so the cabinet could be slid into place.

Emmett There's always more to do, Good thing I want to do it "I don' think I could ever be so lucky." Emmett said with a slightly sad smile, moving to lift up the cabinet for her to place the rug beneath. With the rug underneath he could drag it to the window, pulling hard with his arms and trying to flex his muscles just a bit (but pretending to himself that he wasn't). As the cabinet covered the first window the side of the room it faced got very dim, and Emmett looked about. "...Hm. Y'know, you're gonna need some candles in here prolly so you can see in the next few days." Suddenly, the little clinic seemed so bare, so lacking in any proper protection. He put his hands on his hips and tutted, shaking his head. "Y'know, Bee..." He said, the nickname coming from him without thought. "...I'm a lil worried about you stayin' here at all. You...think y'might wanna come up to my families? I promise I'll get you a private room n' get you away from 'em sometimes. But then at least you'll be safe."